stein



R.v mm"; 1 METHOD FOR DISMANTLING SECONDA-RTB'ATTERIES.

AiPLICATI'ON FILED DEC.'23- 1920'; Reissued Nov. '15, 1921;,

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII m- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nunonrn r. squint, or MINNEAPOLIS,

onnNANcn COMPANY, 'r oN or VIRGINIA.

DISTRICT or ooLuMBIA, A COB/HORA- ME'IHOD FOR DISMANTLING SECONDARYBATTERIES Specification of Reissued Letters Patent. Ileissued Nov, 151921,

Original No. 1,358,344, dated November 9, 1920, Serial No. 305,375,filed June 19, 1919. Application 101' reissue T all whomit may concern:i

Be it know'nthat I, Runonrrr F. STEIN, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Minneapolis, in the county of Iiennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Methodsfor Dismantling Secondary Batteries, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved I method for dismantling secondarybatteries in whole or in part.

The removal of the jar covers or of the jar covers and jars of secondarybatteries presents a serious problem owing to the time necessary underpresent methods to etg compoun which secures these-elements of thebattery within the usual casing and also owing to the undesirableconditions created-by the odor arising under the present practice ofapplying hot chisels to the sealing compound to effect its removal. f IIt is therefore the purpose of m present invention to provide an improvemethod for effecting the removal of the jar'covers or of thejar coversand jars which will materially reduce the time required in removing thesaid elements of the battery, which will prevent injury to jar coversand auto the jars and which will eliminate the presence of disagreeableodors in the workshop caused by burning of the sealing compound when thelatter is removed through the instrumentality of hot chisels. V Myimproved method will be more clearly understood from the followingdetail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingwherem- F1 re 1 is a erspective view illustrative method and showingtheraiictice operatively associated with a plural cell secondary battery,the latter beingshown insection;

' Fig. 2 a lan view of one form of appsratus suitab e for carrying my mthod IDtO' practice; and

' Fig. 3, a section through one of the'steam conveying nozzles oftheapparatus.-

Referring .nowparticularly to the drawings I have shown an apparatuscapable of ntling 12 volt secondary batuse in dis i 4 teries orsecondary batteries. of less then12 tops 21 of the compound subsequentlyremoved aid of a putty knife or other suitable in-'v When the removal ofthe plastic and the removal filed December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,882.

volts. Such apparatus comprises a boiler 10 having a filling openingclosed by a cap 11. Leading from the interior of the boiler 10 near thetop of the latter are three steam conveying nozzles 12 each of which hasits outer end forked to form furcations 13 and 14 and on which latterare engaged respectively flexible pipes 15 pre structed of pure gumrubber and of suitable length for the purposes intended. Each of thenozzles 12 is provided with a valve 16 for controlling the flow of steamfrom the boiler which latter is supported above any suitable heatingapparatus after being filled with the desired quantity of water. In thisinstance I show the boiler supported upon an ordinary gas stove 17.

In the secondarybattery illustrated 18 is the casing of the battery,

19 the jars, 20

the positive and negative plates and separators contained in each jar,21 'the ar tops, 22 the vent openings of the tops and 23 the sealingcompound which secures the jars and tops in place all as is well known.Assuming that it is desired to remove the jars 19 the closures of thevent openings 22 are first removed and the pipes 15 introduced throughsaid vent openings. The necessary quantity of steam is then raised inthe boiler 10 and the valves 16 opened to deliver the steam within thebattery through the pipes 15. The delivered steam is confined within thebattery by means of burlap 24: or other suitable packing placed over thetop of the battery and around the ends of the pipes 15 where the latterenter the vent holes. The introductionof steam into the battery is con-.tinued for about ten minutes or until such time as'the sealing compound23 is heated sufficiently to render the same plastic. When'this statusof the sealing compound is had the burlap 24 is removed and the with thestrument. compound is completed the jar tops 21 can be easily lir'tedmethod just described no odor iscrea of the jar tops is eilected inabout one-half the time required when the use of hot chisels is dependedupon o .re-. move he sealing compoun terably conaway. By resorting tothe remoying said sealing then repeat the thng. of, the battery to If itis, then desired to remote the jars 19 it is only necessary to firstrcmgmiethe plates and separators from Within the ars and operation justdescribed until the sealing is reduced to a plastic state when it ispossible "to" iwithdraw the jars withia pair of pincers or pliers oreven with th While I have described two's atlons for effectingthecomjiletetlisma'n it would :bGflPOSQblB' ing ar covers of secondarybatteries which consists. in heating the sealing compound a. degree torender; the same substantially plastic by introduclng steam within thejars,

compound while plastic, and then removing the jar covers.

.2. The herein described-method of removing jar; tops and jars ofsecondary batteries Which consists in heating pound to a degree torenderjthe same substantially plastic by introducing ,andconfining steamwithin the jars, removing the top holding sealing compound While alasticremoving the releasedtops and'the plates froin the jarspreplacingthetops, again introducing and confining steam -Withinjthe jars. to heatthe jarholdlng'sealing compound ton degree to renderthe samesubstantially plastic and then manuallyWithdrawing the jars whiletheconsistency of the sealing compound remains plastic. 1 BifThehereiIidescribed method of removcompound holding the jaars' the sealing coniingjar covei's of second consists in insertiug pi suitable steam supplyings of the covers. (1 veyed by said. piping fining the sealing con sameplastic \\'hile" pl ipou ul to a (le removing the seal 'astic, and thenre 4. The herein described ingfjar covers of consists in introd ary hatt scharging into the :1

secondary batt at a temperature suflicient to rem ng compoundplast1c,'remov1ng said sealing compound hile plastic, and

the jar covers.

H 5. The/herein desc ing' ar tops and jars :Which cons sts in intr theof seconda uclng gas within 'the jars ribe'd" method of renioi erieswhich )uig leading trom a through thc vent opensteam conrs and con steamso introduced to heat the gi'ee to render the ing compound moving thecovers. method of removeries which ler the sealn removing 6 O rybatteries oducing gas within the jars at a temperaturesufiicient torender the sealing compoun top holding sealing removing the releasedtops and from the jars, replacing the tops, again 1ntroducing heated derthe 4 jar plastig and then jars hile. I the gas Within the holdingsealing consistency of compound remains plastic.

6- ,.The, method storage battery, low pressure steam thereto an top, ofthe battery whereby the seal is 7. .The method. of

{storage battery;

to confine which consists i steam thereto and confining the s in,,,whereby the,

8' The nietho storage battery,

seal, is softened.

d of loosening the seal on which [consists steam within the battery tosoft 1 In testimony whereof I ailix RUDOLPH If;

manually withdrawing the 7 (1 plastic, removing the compound Whileplastic,

6 5 the plates jars to rencompo and the sealing of loosening the seal ona which consists 1n applying d covering the the steam,

gradually softened. loosening the seal on a n applying team there- 80 inapplying en the seal.

signature. 85

"STEIN.

